Thursday, September 26, 2013

There was a big spurt of progress on Monday and Tuesday; I was attending a regional conference--which surprisingly turned out to be more of a national conference than I had expected; and I spent the better part of 12 hours listening to people and charging through a sock.

At the end of that time, I'd turned the heel and was through the gusset of yet another pair of socks for the Philosopher. These are Blue Moon Fiber Arts in Mediumweight Socks that Rock and being knit up on size 1 needles. My only picture is a snapshot I grabbed during the conference on my tablet.

It's a little more red and less orange than that. I'm actually expecting to have those magic words "a bit of free time" this weekend and looking forward to taking better pictures for you. For now, know it's very red, intended to reflect a fire frame of mind (this was one of the Tina's not-perfect skeins).

I took it with me this morning to work but knit only about ten rows on the commute in. I ended up playing Sudoku all the way home while I was listening to Terry Pratchett's Men at Arms.

The sweater continues. I spent far longer than I expected picking up stitches for the first of the collars--it's a two layer collar. I haven't decided if I'm going to do both collars or not, fortunately I don't have to make that decision until the first one is bound off in another 8 rows. Each row is running about 275 stitches and I have to pay a bit of attention so the ribbing doesn't get off, so that's taking a bit of time as well.

The other two pair of socks currently in progress around here are sitting in their project bags looking at me reproachfully. Again, I'll have some downtime in the next couple of days so in an ideal world I may make some effective progress. Or I'll have a fair number of half finished socks floating about, one of the two.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

There's been a little less sock knitting, between different things at work ramping up, a lot of Hedgehog exhaustion, an entirely unnecessary paucity of Terry Pratchett in my headphones for the commute, and that whole "I'm knitting a sweater" thing. Fortunately, socks are still the current knitting currency when visiting football tailgates and some train time.

This is pair 11 for 2013, from Lisa Souza in her Sock! base (superwash/nylon) in the Shade Garden colorway. When this yarn arrived I realized that I had bought a skein that matched about 5 other skeins in my stash. At least I'm consistent right?

The colors are definitely muted and after the BMFA and KPPPM that I've been working with recently, they feel even more so. No eye-searing purples here. And no, OAmy's socks aren't done yet. They're in time out until we get our paper rolling again. She doesn't get those socks until we start sending out the manuscript.

These are 60 stitches, size 1 (2.25 mm) needles and they're progressing slowly. Most of the foot was knit at last weekend's tailgate. Most people had headed into the game but the Philosopher, the Financier, the Drummer and I hung out in the parking lot until half-time, catching up in depth rather than trying to shout at each other over loud music and 25 people. They were drinking hoppy beers, which is not a preferred beverage of mine, so I got through some knitting.

The Philosopher also reminded me that it's just about wool sock season. This means I probably need to get the ends woven in on a few pair of socks that have been piling up near the stash. The current pile had 5 pair on it. One of those pairs I need to do some work on--they ended up being too long--but the other four pairs just need the ends woven in and a run through some wool wash. Two pair are for me, two are for the Philosopher. Hopefully I can get those done after I finish this post.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

It's raining here in Evanston and the suddenly cooler temperatures make it a perfect sit by the window with tea and knitting kind of Sunday. Of course, my to do list won't let that happen for too long but at least for a bit.

I frequently get a sweater bug in September. It rarely goes anywhere but in September I look at the stash, realize just how many sweater quantities I own, think about the increasing nights that are going to be cold and dark and where a warm and pretty sweater might make things much better.

In a fit of September Sweater Lust, I plowed through Ravelry, bought and downloaded a pattern, grabbed yarn from the stash and cast on. It's one of the more impulsive things I've done in a while insofar as knitting goes. I'm sure, to those of you who hang in there reading week after week of ribbed sock updates, it's a huge left turn.

Surprising even myself, I even took it with me on the train. That there were large swaths of stockinette to knit certainly helped. Me, an audiobook, and my row counter.

It started with a crocheted cast-on, which is a new technique for me. Fortunately, Lucy Neatby has a very straightforward video on YouTube so I could figure it out right away. I haven't tried unzipping those stitches yet but I'm hopeful.

In 9 days, I knit the body. And that's with it not being my only knitting. I forget, sometimes, how fast worsted weight yarn on regular size needles turns into thing when compared to light fingering weight yarn on overgrown toothpicks. It's hip length and ended up taking about 4.5 skeins.

Here is what I have left of skein 5. This yarn is Filatura Lanarota Wool Sprinkles that AudioGirl and I binge bought earlier this year. When you can get a sweater's worth of yarn for $12-$15 and it's in reasonable colors.... I think she ended up buying 3 sweaters worth, I bought 2. With the cost of the pattern, I should have about $20 invested in this sweater plus my time.

Maybe once I finish the sleeves and button bands, I'll think about getting out the pattern and toggles that AudioGirl bought me for my birthday last year to use with my cone of yak/merino yarn. I might be onto something here...

Sunday, September 1, 2013

I've been really really tired of late. Anytime that I'm not actively in "must do x" mode, I've been asleep. There's a weird post-exhaustion thing that's getting me through days and activities; it feels kind of like college again. Down a cup of coffee, pretend that the tired doesn't exist, pull on some kind of reserves that didn't seem to be there half an hour ago when I crawled out of bed, and get through. Unfortunately, this then means a tendency to come home and become a small heap of hedgehog on the couch or bed. My housekeeping is suffering for it.

I had pretty high ambitions today: move AudioGirl and then some scrubbing at home. We did accomplish the move, but when I arrived home I had a light snack and then a two and a half hour nap. Now I'm eyeballing all the patterns. I finally purchased a shawl pattern I've been planning on starting for weeks. I also identified a pattern that will be a nice cardigan from yarn that AudioGirl and I bulk bought earlier this year. You'd think finding a raglan worsted weight cardigan that looks like ti will do well in a tweed would be simple. You'd think.

I also have plans for at least two other shawls and a half a dozen other things I want to start *RIGHT NOW*. Can we tell it's fall? And that I'm procrastinating on twenty other things I should be doing? And that watching Netflix in bed while doing a little shawl knitting sounds far more up my speed this evening than some vigorous bathroom scrubbing?